Narrative:

After flying from lax to dfw, XX00 am departure from lax, and a somewhat poor day sleep cycle at the (on airport) hotel, we reported for flight dfw to sfo on time ready to go. Due to maintenance and ATC hold problems we and the passenger made about 3 gate and aircraft changes before finally getting under way over 4 hours late. By this time we were tired enough to not want to have to fly the next leg. Against my better judgement I did not call while en route to arrange a replacement crew. I wish I had, when we arrived in sfo the APU would not start and the external power receptacle was placarded inoperative. This all caused our departure from sfo to be pushed right up against our duty day limit. The first officer at this point encouraged me to call tracking and get us off the trip due to fatigue. I called and found out that it would take at least 3 hours to get a crew in to replace us and the already much delayed passenger were already aboard and waiting to go. I could not stand the thought of them rioting so I agreed to go, again against my better judgement. This chain of events was a classic example of a prelude to an accident. We were making ridiculous mistakes even though we thought we were acting more carefully and thoughtfully due to the circumstances. I deeply regret not getting off that trip because it was only by the grace of god we were not involved in an accident in our debilitated state. This sequence is an insult to the body as it is but with the delays thrown in it is downright ludicrous. I will endeavor to not ever allow myself or my crew, much less my paying passenger be put at risk like that again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B757 EXPERIENCES DELAYS AT START OF TRIP AND BECOMES FATIGUED FEELS UNABLE TO CONTINUE NEXT LEG. UNABLE TO GET A REPLACEMENT CREW THEY CONTINUE THE TRIP BUT ARE VERY PRONE TO MISTAKES EVEN THOUGH THEY TRY TO MONITOR EVERYTHING MORE CLOSELY.

Narrative: AFTER FLYING FROM LAX TO DFW, XX00 AM DEP FROM LAX, AND A SOMEWHAT POOR DAY SLEEP CYCLE AT THE (ON ARPT) HOTEL, WE RPTED FOR FLT DFW TO SFO ON TIME READY TO GO. DUE TO MAINT AND ATC HOLD PROBS WE AND THE PAX MADE ABOUT 3 GATE AND ACFT CHANGES BEFORE FINALLY GETTING UNDER WAY OVER 4 HRS LATE. BY THIS TIME WE WERE TIRED ENOUGH TO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO FLY THE NEXT LEG. AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT I DID NOT CALL WHILE ENRTE TO ARRANGE A REPLACEMENT CREW. I WISH I HAD, WHEN WE ARRIVED IN SFO THE APU WOULD NOT START AND THE EXTERNAL PWR RECEPTACLE WAS PLACARDED INOP. THIS ALL CAUSED OUR DEP FROM SFO TO BE PUSHED RIGHT UP AGAINST OUR DUTY DAY LIMIT. THE FO AT THIS POINT ENCOURAGED ME TO CALL TRACKING AND GET US OFF THE TRIP DUE TO FATIGUE. I CALLED AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 3 HRS TO GET A CREW IN TO REPLACE US AND THE ALREADY MUCH DELAYED PAX WERE ALREADY ABOARD AND WAITING TO GO. I COULD NOT STAND THE THOUGHT OF THEM RIOTING SO I AGREED TO GO, AGAIN AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT. THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS WAS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A PRELUDE TO AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE MAKING RIDICULOUS MISTAKES EVEN THOUGH WE THOUGHT WE WERE ACTING MORE CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I DEEPLY REGRET NOT GETTING OFF THAT TRIP BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD WE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN OUR DEBILITATED STATE. THIS SEQUENCE IS AN INSULT TO THE BODY AS IT IS BUT WITH THE DELAYS THROWN IN IT IS DOWNRIGHT LUDICROUS. I WILL ENDEAVOR TO NOT EVER ALLOW MYSELF OR MY CREW, MUCH LESS MY PAYING PAX BE PUT AT RISK LIKE THAT AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.